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Suisun Valley School NewsletterDragon’s Breathsvs.fsusd.org

Letter from our Principal:

Third Benchmark Results:We recently received the results of the third standards based benchmark assessment for 2012-13. Suisun Valley made impressive growth compared to the 2011-12 third benchmark results! Some highlights are as follows:

• 2nd, 4th, and 8th grade improved in English Language Arts (ELA). Way to go!! 2nd, 4th, 6th grade all went up in Math! AWESOME!!!

62% of our students scored proficient or advanced on the Math standards. 50%of our students scored proficient or advanced on the English Language Arts (ELA) standards.

Fourth grade made the largest growth 19% in ELA and 26% in math.

The tables below summarize Suisun Valley’s students’ performance on the 2012-13 third benchmark assessment compared to 2011-12:

Dear Dragon Families,

April is a busy month. We were off and running with college week before break. We kicked off the week by having a college student share about college life at our Dragon Assemblies. She did a great job and shared some great stories. During the week we talked about our future - college. Our finale was our essay contest winners from Kinder through Eighth grade.

Another fun event this month is our Academic Olympics for our 4th through 8th grade students. This is a competitive event where student teams compete for gold, silver, and bronze medals by correctly answering Math, English Language Arts, and Science questions. Academic Olympics will be held on April 17th and the competition begins at 6:00 pm. We invite you to come and watch. This is an excellent way for our students to gear up for standardized testing which begins on April 29th.

Finally, our School Accountability Report Card (SARC) has been posted on the district website at http://www.fsusd.org/Page/7043. A hard copy of the SARC is available at school or in Instructional Support Services at the District Office.Once again on behalf of our staff and students, I thank this remarkable community for the support you give to our school. Jas Bains Wright,Principal

Benchmark 3 - ELA Benchmark 3 - Math

4/8 - No School4/15-4/19 - Book Fair4/17 - Academic Olympics4/26 - CST Kickoff Assembly4/29-5/9 - STAR Testing4/30 - Parent Club Elections5/18 - Art & Garden Party5/24-5/27 - No School5/30 Magic Show Assembly5/31 - Field Day5/31 - 7th & 8th Grade Dance6/3 -6/7 - Royal King Dance Classes6/6 - Royal King Dance Evening Performance Grades K-76/7 - 8th Grade Promotion 10:00

As a reminder, Suisun Valley’s API is 949 and our goal for 2012-13 is 950. We can achieve this goal by meeting all of the academic targets. We will need to meet the following goals on the spring 2013 standardized testing:

• At least 88% of our students need to score proficient/advanced in English Language Arts• At least 90% of our students need to score proficient/advanced in math

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STAR TESTING IS COMINGOn Monday April 29th we begin standardized testing for our 2nd through 8th grade students. The testing ends on May 9th. These tests are extremely important for students and for our school. The teachers have been gearing up to teach our students test taking skills while reviewing grade level standards. Our students should not be surprised by the content, format, or testing vocabulary used on the CSTs. By being laser focused and taking the mystery out of the test, we know students will show an increase in proficiency.We urge you to not make appointments for your children during the two-week testing window and to not plan vacations during this time. It is also extremely important that students arrive on time each day. Once a test has begun in the classroom, late students are not permitted in the room until the test is over. Late students will take make-up tests in the office.

COLLEGE ESSAY CONTESt winners

Standardized TestingBEFORE: Understand the purpose. If your children ask why they are taking this test, let them know that the tests measure how students are doing in mastering grade level standards and how our school is doing compared to other schools and districts. The tests show areas that need to be worked on and areas of strength. They also help teachers and administrators target learning needs.Support the teacher’s efforts. Our teachers have provided our students with many activities to prepare them for the test. The teachers have also shared information about ways to practice at home, Remind your youngsters that these exercises will help them do their best. Be on the lookout for testing schedules and other information from the school that you’ll need to keep them on track.Reassure your child. Stress that they probably know most of the information required to do well on the test so they need to read carefully and do their best and if they don’t know an answer make a thoughtful guess.Get in shape. Two essential ingredients for successful test taking are a good night’s rest and a healthy breakfast. Be careful not to offer more food than normal---being too full can make children sluggish. DURING:Follow directions. Encourage your children to read all directions slowly and carefully. If your children are allowed to write in the test booklet, have them circle or underline important words. If they are confused about what to do, tell them to ask the teacher.Read every answer: It’s often tempting for test-takers to read multiple-choice questions and mark their answers immediately. The best approach on standardized tests is to read the question and all the answers. Then, go back and select the best one. Stay in order. One mistake many children make is getting the questions and answers out of order. Encourage your children to keep their place on the answer sheet with a piece of blank paper. They can slide the paper down to reveal one row of circles at a time. Every few questions, they should make sure they are on the correct row.Check answers. If your child reaches the end of a section they should go back and check answers. These tests are not timed. Some test-takers circle difficult questions as they work so they can easily find them later.AFTER:Celebrate. Finishing a standardized test is an accomplishment. Give your children plenty of time to relax and wind down. Taking the test requires a lot of mental energy! Consider treating them to a special meal, a movie rental, or a walk. It’s important to tell them how proud you are of their hard work.Share the results. When you receive a copy of your child’s scores, make sure you understand what they mean. Scores are often reported in percentiles and can be confusing, so ask the teacher for help. Talk with your youngsters about the areas they did well in and any areas they need to work on. They will probably be very curious and may ask a lot of questions. Remind them that standardized tests are a tool to help them learn

A HUGE congratulations to our fabulous Dragon students who went above and beyond this trimester. The numerous students who brought up their grades

from first trimester need to be congratulated. Way to go DRAGONS!

Honor list can be found on our website at svs.fsusd.org

Please visit our website at svs.fsusd.org to see the winning essays.

Gift Card Winners:Kinder - Ryan Gabbart 1st grade - Arianna Henriquez3rd grade - Parker Green 4th grade - Roses Newell6th grade - Dorien Willard 7th - Leigh Hull8th grade - Jade Quan

Kindle Winners 2nd Raquel Keen 5th grade - Robert Wright 7th Melissa Corona

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Hello Dragon Families,

Welcome back from spring break! We need you! We want you! Elections for Parent Club President and Treasurer are just around the corner. If you are interested in running for a position please email us as suisunvalleypc@gail.com to let us know. Elections will take place at our next meeting scheduled for Tuesday, April 30th.

Mark your calendars for our upcoming events: 5/30 Magic Show, 5/31 Field Day & Student Appreciation Lunch, 6/3-7 Royal King Dance Academy with a special presentation night for grades K-7th on 6/6!

I look forward to seeing you all at our next parent club meeting. Heather Merodio, President

Parent Club Message:

How Do You Practice Fairness?

Book Fair

April 15th-19th in Multi-Purpose Room

April’s Character Trait: FairnessOur Character Trait for April is Fairness.

Here some ways to show fairness to others. Can you think of more ways?

Take Turns. Be Open-Minded; listen to others.

Treat people Fairly. Don’t take advantage of others.

Play by the rules.

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